UK Racing Tips – Thursday 20 April 2023

NEWMARKET

Race 3 – CREATIVE FORCE 4/5

Appleby’s CREATIVE FORCE is difficult to oppose in the Abernant Stakes. Winner of the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot two seasons ago, the gelded son of Dubawi failed to add to his tally in 2022, but was campaigned exclusively at Group One level and only once finished outside the first four places. Creative Force was beaten just a neck in the Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot was last seen finishing a close-up third at the Breeders’ Cup. The five-year-old has his sights lowered on his return and should be able to record a confidence-boosting victory before returning to the highest level later in the year.

Race 4 – THE FOXES 11/4

THE FOXES is taken to cause a minor upset in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket. Charlie Appleby has won three of the last four runnings of the Rowley Mile’s 2000 Guineas trial and again holds a formidable hand with Mysterious Night a major contender. But there is no juice in his price so it could be worth scanning a little further down the list and at more attractive odds The Foxes certainly makes plenty of appeal. Marginally the highest-rated horse in the field with a mark of 111, Andrew Balding’s colt is also proven over the course and distance, having won the Royal Lodge Stakes in September. That form looks red-hot with the runner-up Dubai Mile winning a French Group One on his next start and the third-placed Flying Honours subsequently landing the Group Three Zetland Stakes for Appleby. The Foxes may well want further than a mile in time, but underfoot conditions will bring his stamina into play and he is expected to make his presence felt.

Race 5 – PREPENSE 15/8

PREPENSE can make it third time lucky for Sir Michael Stoute in this maiden fillies’ stakes. The Kingman filly finished a clear second to subsequent Rockfel and Fillies’ Mile winner Commissioning on her Newmarket debut last summer and was unsurprisingly a short price to go one better at Chester two months later. Those who waded in at cramped odds were left counting their losses, with Prepense firmly put in her place by Stenton Glider, but she was perhaps just unfortunate to come up against another smart one. She looks the sort to improve from two to three and the fact her full-brother Headman won a couple of Group Twos with ease in the ground augurs well.

CHELTENHAM

Race 2 – TWEED SKIRT 11/4

The British EBF Mares’ Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Final is the feature event on an all-mares card at Cheltenham, with the vote going to Nicky Henderson’s TWEED SKIRT. The six-year-old won her first two starts over fences before finishing third in a Listed mares’ chase at Huntingdon and fourth in the Grade Two Pendil Novices’ Chase against the boys at Kempton. Going back against her own sex and reverting to handicap company, Tweed Skirt holds obvious claims.

Race 3 – DEEPLY SUPERFICIAL 2/1

DEEPLY SUPERFICIAL might be the answer to this mares’ novices’ hurdle. Gordon Elliott’s Irish challenger was third behind subsequent Cheltenham Festival heroine You Wear It Well in a Grade Two at Sandown on her penultimate start, since when she has bounced back to winning ways on home soil. She sets the standard on ratings ahead this Listed assignment and will take some stopping.

RIPON

Race 5 – BOY DOUGLAS 11/2

Conditions will also be soft at Ripon, which should suit BOY DOUGLAS in this handicap test. The Michael Dods-trained three-year-old improved with each of his three runs at two, beating a subsequent winner in Radetsky Marsch when breaking his duck at Ayr in October. He has been gelded during the winter and may prove better than his opening mark of 78 as he makes his seasonal and handicap debut in North Yorkshire.